There are a number of systems used today that can reweigh mail in sorting application. In a static scale method a user has a scale, places the envelope of the scale, scans the barcode and sorts the mail and the weight and the barcode are sent to a computer and placed in a data file that is sent to the backend system for billing. This method is very slow productivity and includes many steps to complete the transaction. Any operator remediation process is very intrusive.
In automated mail sorters the mail piece travels over an in-motion scale and through an automated scanner. Automated mail sorters are extremely expensive and not practical for many applications. In a shelf based sort location system a bin is provided that the user removes mail from. A scanner scans the mail and a light to the proper sort destination lights up and when the mail is placed in the proper shelf it is weighed by a load cell. Sort location shelves can be expensive and require a load cell in each sort location shelf to obtain the weight of each shipment. The implementation can be expensive and not practical to sorting environments that require regular reconfiguration.
A reweigh system that uses a decrementing scale that marries a barcode with a package are also not but FIFO logic—first in, first out—is used where the scale triggers a transaction then waits for a scan, then through and time out sequence waits for any operator inputs. The process must proceed in a defined order or the information gets out of sequence potentially billing customers the wrong weight on the wrong package. This system is expensive, inaccurate and not an ergonomic solution.
Prior mail sorting solutions are expensive, slow, not ergonomic to the operator and/or inaccurate. Therefore there is a need for systems and methods that enable improved mail sorting and weighting.
It will be noted that throughout the appended drawings, like features are identified by like reference numerals.